A Necromancer's Wild Card
by Sorata Shioya
Summary: Arisato Minato knew he lived an unusual life when he died. But he never thought that he would be resurrected by a self-mute necromancer! Now he's a zombie and a servant of the necromancer who revived him? And Magical Garment Girls and Vampire Ninjas actually exist? Wasn't his life unusual enough already? AU. Rated M for language.


**A Necromancer's Wild Card**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Vanishing Dread**

* * *

_"Memento mori." __— Unknown_

_"They say that idiocy can only be cured by death. I was an idiot. Boredom might be a luxury, but it's no fun. Loneliness might be peace, but then you cannot share your joy with others… Thank you. My life changed because you killed me." — Aikawa Ayumu_

* * *

**January 31st, 2010**

* * *

"This is it. Today's the day..." Minato said solemnly, standing in the middle of his room in the Iwatodai Dormitory.

It was here. The promised day had arrived. Nyx, the personification of death itself, will descend to Earth like Ryoji prognosticated a month ago on New Year's Eve. If S.E.E.S. couldn't stop her at the top of Tartarus during the Dark Hour tonight, it would all be over. Humanity would cease to exist as everyone will acquire Apathy Syndrome, and thus losing the will to do anything. And the kicker? Many people actually wished for that to happen. There was even a bloody doomsday cult that supported Nyx at the moment, regarding and praising her as "Nyx-sama"!

Minato still couldn't comprehend Mitsuru-senpai's grandfather's resolution to instigate the Fall. Why did he want to bring it about? Desiring to wipe out all of humanity, was he just flat-out insane? Or was there a deeper reason behind it?

_'Who knows? Maybe he was a woobie,'_ Minato pondered.

Ending his train of thoughts, he placed his headphones on his ears and turned up his mp3 player's volume, listening to _Burn My Dread_ in all its glory. It could have been the last chance he had to listen to music. Might as well enjoy it while he could. He left his room and went downstairs to the first floor of the dormitory. Not surprisingly, his friends were nowhere to be seen. It was early in the morning._  
_

Minato went to make some toast for himself. As his small breakfast was being prepared, he thought about what he should do today. When the toast became ready, he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

With toast in his mouth, Minato decided to leave the dormitory.

He wanted to take one last look of Iwatodai City before tonight.

* * *

Ignoring the myriad of graffiti and preachers of the Fall, Minato thought his walk was pleasant. By the time he realized it, it was already afternoon. He traveled to every place he spent time alone or with people he had Social Links with. Each place held memories of his time in Iwatodai this past year. He remembered all of the times he spent with the friends he made. Memories of laughter, endeavors, and happiness. It was nice taking a trip down memory lane.

Minato went to Naganaki Shrine, Iwatodai Station, Port Island Station, and even Gekkoukan High School to take in the sight of the impressive building. The school was closed today, of course. It was Sunday.

The blue-haired teen went to everywhere except...

"Paulownia Mall," Minato said as he entered the popular hub area. Out of all the places he spent the most time at, this mall took the cake. It was the last place he had yet to visit. That and he thought he could remain in the mall with the remaining amount of time he had left before the Dark Hour comes. There was always something to do to kill time here.

The floors and walls of Paulownia Mall were still littered with symbols and other miscellaneous crap from Nyx's cult. Ignoring more of the graffiti, Minato took off his headphones and stood in front of the fountain at the center of the mall to consider his options. He looked towards his right and saw the arcade, Game Panic. He thought about going there for a moment before deciding against it. As much as he liked playing games, he didn't feel like playing them today. He faced the north side of the mall and viewed the front of Mandragora, a karaoke bar. Go singing there? Minato rejected the idea of singing on what could potentially be his last day to live, so that wasn't an option. There was Club Escapade, but it only opened during the evening and he had nothing to do there since that monk he befriended left. He briefly glanced at Aohige Pharmacy, Shinshoudo Antiques, Be Blue V, and the Police Station. Minato and the rest of S.E.E.S., however, were already set on their inventory and supplies for today. They had the best of everything in terms of weapons, armor, and tactical items just from exploring Tartarus, fusing Personas with weapons at Shinshoudo Antiques, and doing Elizabeth's quests in the past month.

After eliminating those possibilities, there was only one place left Minato could go to spend his remaining time before the Dark Hour commenced tonight: Chagall Cafe. One possible last taste of Pheromone Coffee didn't sound so bad.

With his hands in his winter clothes, Minato walked over to Chagall Cafe, avoiding the sight of the Lost and random civilians gossiping.

He stopped after passing the fountain.

Between the menu sign of Chagall Cafe and a tree was a young-looking girl sitting by herself on the ground, not looking at anything in particular. Her hair was straight long and silver; her eyes were cerulean like clear skies. She had fair light skin, inadvertently meaning that she wasn't part of the Lost since they were always pale.

Her attire was... unusual, to say the least. She wore a purple dress with white stripes, but she was also wearing silver armor that consisted of a helmet over her head, a chest plate over her dress, gauntlets and greaves shielding her arms and legs respectively along with boots. It was like this girl hailed from medieval times.

_'Is this girl a cosplayer?'_ Minato thought, curious about the girl's odd apparel. It was odd to see one at this time of the year, especially with what's been going on recently._  
_

The girl in question lifted her head up, her blue eyes meeting Minato's gray ones. Her face didn't show any signs of expression. It was just... blank. It made for a pretty good poker face though because Minato thought hers rivaled his.

Since he had nothing else to do, Minato decided to strike up a conversation with the girl. He wasn't trying to hit on her. He had a gut feeling that she was lonely, and he could sympathize with her. He wasn't going to be like Junpei or Akihiko, two of his friends who failed spectacularly at talking with girls.

"Hello. What are you doing sitting here alone?" Minato asked the girl politely, now standing in front of her. Instead of speaking back, she retrieved a notepad and a pen from her dress, writing in it for a brief moment.

[Who are you?] She asked through words on her notepad. Although he was unsure of why she communicated through writing, Minato rolled with it. He knelt in front of the girl so that the two were on the same eye level.

"Well, what kind of person do I look like?" Minato asked calmly, pointing at himself with his index finger. Honestly, it was humorous for him to see what others thought of him at first glance. People he met over the years usually labeled him as "mysterious." It reminded him of the trip to Yakushima in July of last year. That one... "lady" Junpei and Akihiko were trying to hit on described him as such before Minato attempted to set "her" up with Junpei. Oh how it almost worked too...

The silver-haired girl looked at Minato from different angles, inspecting him so she could describe him. She held her pen to her chin, contemplating and finalizing her thoughts before she wrote in her notepad.

[A mysterious pretty boy] Sure enough, Minato wasn't surprised. He briefly wondered how many persons in total have replied like that throughout his life. He began to regret that he didn't keep a record for the hell of it.

"There's not a person I haven't met than can describe me without the word 'mysterious.'" He sighed at the overly-long gag. The girl tapped her pen on her notepad, pointing to "pretty." Minato smiled softly at the compliment.

"My name is Arisato Minato, and thank you for the compliment," The blue-haired teen thanked. It flattered him when a girl called him pretty. He was getting that a lot this year. Before he could forget, he repeated his question from earlier, "So how come you're sitting here alone?"

[I don't have any money] The girl glanced to the doors of Chagall Cafe before glancing back to the blue-haired teen in front of her.

"Did you want to drink Pheromone Coffee?" Minato asked. The girl nodded. "You may come with me, Miss. I'll cover for you." Minato held out his hand towards the silver-haired girl. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw his hand. She looked towards the field leader of S.E.E.S. and saw a small smile on his face.

[Are you sure?] She asked, unsure of her self. He was really going to offer her kindness like this?

"Don't worry, Miss. It won't be any trouble at all. I have a lot of money on me anyway," Minato stated. He also sweat dropped behind his head. _'Over a million yen to be honest...'_ 500 yen was _hardly_ going to make a dent in his personal fortune. Selling weapons, armor, and random junk Shadows dropped and finding money in Tartarus sure helped S.E.E.S. during the year. Money really wasn't an issue anymore. Since he was the field leader of S.E.E.S., all of the profits went to Minato. Of course the money was for the benefit of the team for supplies, but the blue-haired teen by himself found most of the stuff in the first place. Finders, keepers as the old saying went.

The armored girl looked down for a moment, perhaps thinking of something? She then grasped Minato's hand and nodded, indicating that she would go with him. Minato stood up and pulled the girl up with him.

[Let's go, Minato] She wrote. The young Wild Card nodded and led her into Chagall Cafe.

* * *

"Do you like the taste?" Minato asked the armored girl sitting across from him. He was sitting at his usual spot in Chagall Cafe with her. Other patrons in the cafe were gawking at the two, and it wasn't because of the effects of the Pheromone Coffee. Their Pheromone Coffee had arrived at their table and the self-mute girl sipped her cup. She then raised her pen to her chin, thinking of what she should write before writing on her notepad.

[It tastes weird.] Minato smiled a little. [But I like it]

"That's what I thought too when I started coming here last year." Minato agreed. "When I wasn't working, I would drink the Pheromone Coffee in my spare time." The girl tilted her head in confusion. It also helped that she wrote a "?" on her notepad that showed it. "I worked here part-time to earn a bit more money for myself. I am a high school student and I live in a dorm so I thought, 'why not earn a little extra money on the side?' Even with my academic records, I still probably won't have enough to afford to go to college if I don't save up." Part of what Minato said was true. He mainly worked to increase his courage and charm, but the money was a nice added bonus. With 9,999,999 yen, he could afford to go to some universities without the aid of scholarships.

[What about your parents?] The girl wrote, wondering if Minato's parents weren't supporting him in his studies. Minato activated his poker face. He looked down at his own cup of Pheromone Coffee, staring at his reflection in it.

"Well... You see, my parents... They're dead..." The girl looked visibly shocked. Her eyes widened a greater deal than before. Minato noticed her astonished reaction but still continued. "It was about ten years ago in 1999. There was this... accident on the Moonlight Bridge here in Tatsumi Port Island. My parents died because of it. I was orphaned at that point. Most of my relatives didn't want to take me in to raise me. 'Who would want to raise a traumatized seven year old?', I heard one of them say. So for the next ten years, I kept moving and transferring to various places to live and go to school. Let me just say that the experience wasn't exactly fun. Although, I did enjoy staying with my grandfather and cousin at their estate. It was in April of last year I came back to Iwatodai City. I managed to get transferred into Gekkoukan High School and I moved into a dorm that housed other students, and I've been here ever since," Minato finished. He actually felt better that he confessed. Even though he told a complete stranger his past, he felt better nonetheless. The girl was looking down into her cup, processing the information she heard.

[I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up your parents] She wrote, avoiding Minato's eyes. Minato shook his head.

"It's fine. To be honest, I feel great now that I've gotten that off my chest. I never really told anyone about my past, except for one of my friends. I've been hiding my dread for the past decade. It's funny, you know? I've made friends with people this past year who have some problems in their lives, whether they were in the past or in the present. I listened to them and helped them overcome their problems like I was a psychologist. And now I told you my past. Even though I overcame my issues a long time ago, it's still amusing how the situation has been reversed." Minato smiled. This girl listened to him like he listened to his friends. The quietness and poker face were similar too.

[I'm glad that I could help then] Minato nodded. Then a thought crossed his mind.

"You know, I never did ask for your name." It just hit him. Minato was socializing with this girl for a decent amount of time and he had yet to ask for her name. The girl blinked and wrote.

[My name is Eucliwood Hellscythe] That was an odd name. It sure wasn't Japanese. And yet, Minato thought it sounded cute and fitting for her. He also assumed that she wrote her name in the non-Japanese way of stating your name. If she didn't, then her name was truly an odd one.

"Well, Eucliwood, it's a pleasure to meet you," Minato told her.

[It's nice to meet you too, Minato. You can call me "Eu" for short] Eucliwood wrote down. Minato smiled at her. If she was a Social Link, it probably would have started already. Minato had Social Links for every Arcana though, so there wasn't going to be a link between her and him. He frowned for a fleeting moment before noticing that the warm steam from his and Eu's cups were nearly gone.

"I think our Pheromone Coffee is beginning to get cold, so let's drink." Eucliwood nodded. The two proceeded to drink their cups with increasing stares from onlookers.

* * *

"Ahh. Now that was good," Minato said as he exited Chagall Cafe with Eucliwood. For someone who didn't speak, she sure had a lot to talk about... Or write about. The two talked mainly about their tastes in food. Eu also asked about Minato's preference in music, seeing as how he had headphones and an mp3 player on him. He asked if she wanted to listen to some of his music to which she responded with a quiet nod. He placed his headphones on her ears and she listened to his music library. After listening through the entire selection, Eu responded that Minato had an interesting taste in music and she liked it. She also commented that she liked _Burn My Dread_. Minato pointed out that it was his favorite song. For him, the song felt invigorating.

"Pheromone Coffee tastes a lot better when I'm with a friend," Minato remarked.

[Friend?] Eucliwood wrote.

"I consider you a friend, Eu. You're fun to hang out with," Minato stated and smiled. Eucliwood's eyes widened slightly. Her mouth formed a very small smile at the thought of being someone's friend.

[And so do I, Minato]

"I'm glad..." Minato trailed off. He wondered what time it was. He and Eucliwood spent a decent amount of time together. It was fun and all, but Minato had to get his priorities straight. He looked to entrance of Paulownia Mall. It was night out.

The Dark Hour and Nyx were coming soon.

"Huh. It's already getting late." Minato frowned. He had to brace himself soon. Everyone back at the dorm was most likely making last-minute preparations at this moment. As much as he didn't want to, he had to leave now. The battle for everyone's souls was approaching.

[Do you have to go, Minato?] Eucliwood questioned by holding her notepad in front of the blue-haired teen's face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Unfortunately, yes," he said sadly. His eyes narrowed in seriousness. "I have to do this very important thing with my friends tonight. I can't miss it. I appreciated spending time with you, Eu. But for now, I have to say goodbye. Take care now. Oh wait a minute." Before he could forget, Minato reached in his pockets and brought out an envelope. "Eu, I would like you to have this." He said as he handed the armored girl the envelope. She tilted her head.

[What is it?] Eu asked.

"One million yen," Minato answered honestly. When Eu wasn't looking back in the cafe, he secretly placed several yen bills in an envelope. Even a million yen wasn't enough to make a noticeable difference in his ridiculously large savings. As he expected, her eyes widened upon hearing his statement. "I really feel that you should have it. Take it." He wasn't completely certain that Eucliwood was poor or not, but Minato sympathized with the girl when he found her sitting by herself. Something in his mind also told him that she would need the money in the future. That is, if S.E.E.S. triumphed over Nyx tonight, or else there wasn't going to be a future.

[Thank you, Minato] Eu expressed her gratitude. Minato smiled softly.

"It's my pleasure, Eu. Ja ne." The blue-haired Persona user raised a hand in farewell and proceeded to walk back to the dorm. At the exit of Paulownia Mall, he paused and turned around to see that Eucliwood was standing in front of the fountain. She was holding her notepad up.

[Ja ne, Minato] The blue-haired teen gave Eucliwood a thumbs up before he left with his hands in his pockets. Although he couldn't see her anymore, Eucliwood wrote something else in her notepad after her previous note.

[Good luck]

* * *

**April 13th, 2010**

* * *

_'Let's see... How long has it been? An hour? A day? A week? A month? Hell, a year? I don't even know. I lost track of time already.'_

A month had passed since March 6th.

A month had passed since Minato passed away.

It was lamentable. His soul was being used as a medium for safeguarding the Earth. On January 31st, he and his friends in S.E.E.S. went to the top of Tartarus during the Dark Hour to face Nyx. Well, Nyx's Avatar or Ryoji to be more precise. Despite giving it their all, they weren't strong enough to stop Nyx. She wasn't going to stop coming. She was going to eradicate humanity.

In the face of hopelessness, Minato had obtained the power of The Universe Arcana from the unbreakable bonds he created with his friends with the assistance of Igor of the Velvet Room. With the power of The Universe and his friends' prayers, he created the Great Seal. This seal was specifically created as a barrier between Nyx and Erebus, humanity's grief and negative emotions given form. Should the two come into contact with each other, that would be when humanity becomes extinct. Not immediately though. Everyone would have acquired Apathy Syndrome, making them, well, apathetic to everything, even their own well-beings. Eventually, every human would have died out in blissful ignorance, directly and indirectly eradicating humanity as a result.

Minato lived for one more month after creating the Great Seal. It was because of a promise he made to his friends to meet up with them on Graduation Day. Soon after that was achieved, he fell asleep on the lap of Aigis.

Aigis... Minato truly cared about her as a person. He respected her perseverance in finding and thinking for herself and how much she cared for him by stating she wanted to protect him, always. ...And she was cute, in appearance and personality.

Little did Aigis, his friends, or anyone know that he would die the day after in order to fully become the Great Seal. He willingly trapped his soul to save everyone.

In spite of his decision, Minato was unhappy. Yes, he did it for everyone so they could live on, but what about him? There were so many things that he still wanted to accomplish in his life. He wanted to live still. He wanted to live out the rest of his days peacefully. But he can't. It just couldn't be. Being the Great Seal was so monotonous and sad. From his view, he could monitor Earth. He could see what he would be missing. He chose to not see it, however. Life was so unfair. But as always, Minato didn't show sorrow or regret. He suppressed all of his emotions. He accepted his choice, but didn't accept it at the same time. Eventually, he came to ignoring those thoughts. It wasn't healthy of him to think that way, even if there was nothing he could do about it. While being the Great Seal, he was generally complaining to himself about being bored since there was literally nothing he could do except think and watch. He also had Elizabeth visiting him frequently. The Velvet Room assistant expressed her unhappiness with Minato's current condition. She even suggested that she could take his place as the Great Seal. Even though he couldn't speak to her, Elizabeth knew that he did not want that. It made him happy though that at least he had her company. She would talk to him about random stuff as she did when the two hung out in Iwatodai, which he didn't mind.

But now, she was gone. She hadn't visited him as of late.

So, Minato was alone again.

_'Maybe it's time for me to take another nap. But that would be the same as not looking or paying attention. Screw it. Erebus isn't coming back anytime soon. My friends took care of it awhile back. It'll come back, just not now. I might as well...'_

Before Minato could sleep once more, something amazing happened.

_"Arisato Minato..."_

_'What?'_ Minato heard a voice. It was unfamiliar. It was beckoning him. He could feel it. Suddenly, he felt his soul was being grabbed by something unknown and without form. It felt strange, and yet, it felt soothing as well. He liked this comforting sensation. The voice didn't sound like it belonged to anyone he knew. Elizabeth wasn't around either to see him. He couldn't pinpoint where it originated from.

Who did it belong to?

_"Come back..."_

At that moment, a shower of bright psychedelic lights blinded Minato's vision.

* * *

It was dark, but there was also light glowing from up above. The moon in the night sky did look beautiful tonight. The cool air caressed a blue-haired teen's face as the wind passed by. It felt very nice.

Hold on. The moon? Air? Sensibility?!

"...!"

Minato's eyes widened greatly. What was this? He could see the sky and feel again! What just happened? He was the Great Seal just a few moments ago, but now he wasn't? Did the seal break? Where were Nyx and Erebus? Before Minato could even attempt to put the pieces together, he saw...

"...Eucliwood?"

Above Minato was a familiar silver-haired, armored girl he met on the day of his final battle. Eucliwood Hellscythe was gazing at him with her consistently neutral gaze, kneeling down beside him. When the blue-haired teen said her name, she nodded in response.

"Eu, where am I?" Minato asked, unsure of where he was.

[You're in a graveyard, Minato] Eucliwood held up her personal notepad with those words on it. The moment after seeing the notepad, Minato instantaneously sat up and looked around in a 180 degree angle. There were tombstones and mausoleums as far as the eye could see. Several dead trees and plants were also seen across the graveyard, which wasn't surprising due to the overbearing atmospheres of graveyards.

"Wow. What a fan-fucking-tastic place to wake up in," Minato commented sarcastically, sounding annoyed. He narrowed his eyes and frowned shortly after his comment. What the hell? Why did he say that? Normally, he would never let smartass comments like that slip past him. He always kept those thoughts inside his mind! Eucliwood didn't seem disturbed by his sudden rudeness.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to swear." Minato avoided Eu's gaze, ashamed of what said before.

[I don't mind] Eucliwood wrote.

_'Does anything affect her?'_ Minato thought with an eyebrow raised. Discarding his thought, he asked Eucliwood of his condition. "Anyway, Eu, do you know how and why I'm alive?" There was a chance that Eucliwood didn't know of his death, but Minato couldn't care less right now. This was literally a life-and-death situation he was in.

[I brought back your soul to your body]

"You... brought back my soul to my body?" Minato asked, pointing at her with uncertainty.

[Hai] Minato blinked. How was that even possible? To him, this sounded like something from that one anime/manga called Bleach.

_'Fuck it, I'll play along for now.' _Minato concluded. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms in a manner that showed deep thought. "That would explain why I'm in a cemetery. My friends must have buried me after I died... But... If I'm here now, what about the—"

[Don't worry about it] Eu held up her notepad, cutting off Minato as he was talking.

"'Don't worry about it'? Do you know about the Great Seal, Eu?" What else could she mean by it? Eu nodded in response. "But..."

[It's still there] Eu answered.

"How?" Minato asked, genuinely confused of how it's still maintaining if his soul wasn't being used.

[I'm a necromancer from the Underworld. I used my powers] Eu wrote more. [Personas users are known throughout the Underworld. That's how I know about you] Minato hesitantly nodded. It made sense in a way. Humans, or even dogs and machines, summoning apparitions based off of mythological legends would sound like they will be well-known by supernatural beings that could have been actually connected to some of those legends.

"You're a necromancer?" Eu nodded. "...I guess that isn't the weirdest thing I've ever heard. What you said also explains how you could know of the Great Seal." The power of Personas, the Dark Hour, and the existence of Shadows were already supernaturally strange. Quite frankly, Minato's life was idiotically abnormal since that day in 1999. He accepted that fact long ago. Since he was back in his own body, he was willing to accept another oddity of this world. He also didn't want to bother knowing about other supernatural stuff because it sounded annoying to learn about. It was easier to accept everything upfront. That, and everything seemed to be fine right now.

"If only you were with me and my friends that day... So the seal is still there? No catch or anything? It'll be fine even without me?" Eu, for a moment, looked as if she was hesitating while writing because she paused when Minato asked her his questions. Even so, she finished writing in her notepad.

[With my powers, I'm able to do the impossible] Eu continued.

Minato smirked. "Heh. That sounds like something I would say. If what you're saying is true, I'll believe you." What else could he do than believe? Eu made it so that Minato was back in his body again. That alone was sufficient enough to make him believe in the necromancer. "So I'm alive again?" Eu continued to write.

[You're dead, Minato] For some reason, the blue-haired teen had the urge to roll his eyes at seeing Eu's words, but he managed to repress it. [I used my powers to make you into a zombie] Minato snickered a little.

"A zombie? Am I going to have a fetish for eating human flesh?" Minato jokingly asked. Eu shook her head in denial. "That's good. I honestly didn't like the thought of doing that." He wondered though from the zombie movies he watched in the past. What _would_ human flesh taste like? Hopefully not chicken. Because a substitute for chicken in taste like that was wrong.

[You're now able to withstand injuries that would normally kill a human, even dismemberment] Eu explained. Minato nodded in understanding. [Should you lose a body part, all you have to do is reconnect yourself. As a zombie, you're now able to bypass human limitations in strength at will]

"That's pretty interesting, Eu. Zombies sure have their uses." Despite his new situation, Minato was extremely happy that he could "live" again. Being a zombie didn't sound so bad.

[In a way, you're immortal. But you can still feel pain] Eu pointed out. Minato shrugged. He didn't care about his double-edged sword. He could just use one of his many Personas to null or absorb pain. Wait... Could he use Personas? Eu did say his soul was back in his body, so it's possible he could still use them. Now he just needed to get his hands on an Evoker.

"Still, I'm just glad you resurrected me, Eu. You have no idea how godawful it was being trapped. How could I ever repay you?" Minato asked generously. He felt eternally grateful for Eu giving him another chance at life.

[No need] Minato tilted his head in confusion.

"'No need'?" He asked, dubious of Eu's words. Surely there had to be something she wanted from him. He was brought back to life, kind of, by her.

[You're my servant now] Oh. That's why. There was the catch. Minato was about to retort against her, but he considered what would happen if he didn't serve her. For all he knew, Eu could place a mind-controlling spell on him or just erase him from existence. It could be possible, considering that he was released from his damned situation by her abilities. She was a "necromancer" after all.

"...Should I call you 'Eu-sama' or 'Eucliwood-sama' from now on?" Minato asked half-facetiously. He hoped she didn't want to be addressed with either of those names. Confirming his hope, Eu shook her head in rejection.

[Just "Eu" or "Eucliwood" is fine] Minato mentally sighed in relief. The thought of doing that sounded bizarre to him.

"So Eu... What do we do now?" He asked, wondering what would happen from here on out.

[I will stay with you] Eu replied with no hesitation. Even with her words of encouragement, Minato was mystified. There was one glaring, obvious problem.

"Stay with me? Eu, I _have_ no place to stay. Japan and everyone I'm friends or acquainted with should already know that I've died. I can't just walk into my dorm or anywhere in Port Island anymore. There's a good chance I may run into someone that knows me. And if that were to happen, I'd be right under a microscope. A microscope of governmental and intrusive shit — pardon my language by the way — and that would make things very difficult for the both of us. If anything, we would have to leave Iwatodai City and go somewhere else. As much as I don't want to, we've got no other choice." Minato pointed out. Unfortunately, everything he said was true. He could no longer stay in Iwatodai anymore. Unless he wanted to be the country's test subject, he would have to leave his hometown so no one could find out he walked the Earth again. "Actually, may I ask what is the date today? While I was the Great Seal, I lost track of time quickly." He rubbed the back of his in embarrassment.

[April 13, 2010] Eu answered. Minato's shoulders slumped.

"...It's been a month since I died, huh?" Minato smiled sadly upon finding out the date. That definitely meant he couldn't go back to a "normal" life again. He couldn't see his friends. He couldn't see his grandfather and his cousin. He couldn't see Aigis. He had to leave. There was just no other choice. He sighed after a moment of reflecting his only option. "It's no good if I keep dwelling on the past, I suppose. I have to move on, just like everyone else." Eu tapped Minato's arm, gaining his attention.

[You're not alone, Minato. You have me] Eu's words perked the blue-haired zombie up.

Minato began to feel faint affection from Eucliwood...

Then, it started.

"!?" A recognizable feeling erupted in Minato's undead heart. A familiar voice rang in his head.

_"Thou art I... and I am thou... Thou hast established a new bond... Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Death Arcana..."_

Minato grinned. How fitting that he established the Death Arcana Social Link since he was zombie now. _'A new Social Link? My previous ones must have restarted when I died and got revived. It's a shame, but I figure I'm creating new bonds now, with new people I have yet to meet perhaps. The Death Arcana? I guess I'll have to keep a close eye out for Eu in the future.'_ Those that were associated with the Death Arcana were, well, acquainted with death. This was very obvious because Eu reanimated Minato's corpse with his soul. He assumed that there was more to Eu than meets the eye, especially since she communicated by writing instead of talking. She was hiding something. Something hard and worrisome she kept to herself. As with the rest of Minato's Social Links, only time would tell when the necromancer would be willing to open up to him with her secrets or past.

The blue-haired zombie stood up from his position. Despite being dead for a month, he didn't feel stiff at all. Maybe it was Eu's powers that relieved him of his inflexibility. He felt like he wasn't dead to begin with. Even so, he whirled his arms around and kicked out his legs to get properly adjusted to his body again. He looked around him and saw a grave that was dug up, assuming that it was his. In front of the grave was a tombstone. The tombstone read:

**ARISATO MINATO**

**BORN NOV. 13, 1992**

**DIED MAR. 6, 2010**

**MAN OF FEW WORDS**

**BELOVED FRIEND**

It was odd for Minato to see his own tombstone. _'So that's what my friends inscribed.'_ He was touched nonetheless as he placed a hand on his tombstone. Those two descriptions summed him up pretty well. He also glanced at the arm he was using to touch his gravestone, seeing that it was covered by black clothing. He then checked himself to see that he was actually wearing his winter Gekkoukan High School uniform accompanied with his red "S.E.E.S." armband. He sweat-dropped. Did his friends really bury him in his school uniform? Along with his school uniform, he found that he also had his mp3 player and headphones on him. They buried those with him too? He felt that it seemed like a waste because someone else could enjoy listening to his music. Oh well. Now he could take pleasure into listening to his own music once more! When Minato was done searching himself, he helped Eu up so that she could stand.

Before the two could leave, Minato glanced back at his tombstone and noticed that a gun was placed in front of it. He could tell, however, that it was no ordinary gun. It was an Evoker, an item in which one could use to summon their Personas by shooting themselves in the head with it. Minato considered that it might have been his. Well, now he could test out if he could still summon Personas or not. He grabbed the Evoker and held it towards his temple, closing his eyes in order to focus. With the new Death Arcana Social Link he established with Eu, Minato thought he should try to summon a Persona from that Arcana. Eu continued to stare at her new servant as he was attempting this.

"Thanatos!" The blue-haired zombie pulled the trigger.

The sound of glass shattering soon followed as black shards escaped from the other side of Minato's head and a burst of black energy encircled his body. A recognizable figure manifested behind him. Surrounding itself with a cloak of coffins connected by a chain was Thanatos itself, the ultimate Persona of the Death Arcana. It seems that even if Minato was a zombie now, his abilities as a Persona user and a Wild Card weren't affected. That was awesome, despite the subtle difference in color of summoning a Persona. Minato chalked it up to him being a zombie.

"I've still got it," Minato said smoothly as Thanatos faded away.

[Very impressive] Eu commented. [Where would you like to go?] She asked. Minato shrugged his shoulders in response.

"I don't have anywhere in particular that I want to travel to. Do you have somewhere in mind that you wish to go to, Eu?" The necromancer held her pen to her chin, thinking of where she would like to go to. A minute later, she made her decision.

[Tokyo] Minato raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Tokyo?" Eu nodded. "Alright. That sounds good. To be honest, I've always wanted to visit there myself. Iwatodai is big and all, but Tokyo seems more exciting in my opinion. However... I just realized we don't have any money to get there." Minato noted. His personal fortune was most likely gone due to his death. And he didn't know how he could gain money in order to purchase train tickets or something to get to Tokyo without alarming people he knew. That was a chance he couldn't take.

[Money isn't an issue] Eu pointed out. She reached for something from her dress. When she found what she was looking for, she held it in front of her so Minato could see it.

"An envelope?" Minato asked. "Is that the same one I gave you back in January?" Eu nodded again. Her envelope appeared to be bulky, so Minato assumed that there was still money inside. "By the looks of it, I should count my blessings that you didn't blow through all of it. How much is left in it?" The necromancer peeked into the envelope to count how much money was left.

[956,000 yen] Minato's jaw dropped.

"That's it? You only spent 44,000 yen? What did you even buy?" What on Earth did Eu spend on in the past three months? Something cheap probably since she spent about four hundred US dollars when the million Minato gave her was about ten thousand US dollars.

[Pudding cups] Eu told Minato.

"...Pudding cups?" He asked incredulously. He then shook his head. "Ah forget it. I'm starting to feel at home as we continue to stay here. Let's just get out of this cemetery before I get too comfortable. We'll buy some train tickets for Tokyo at Iwatodai Station and leave immediately." Minato started to walk out of the graveyard until he was stopped.

[Can we get pudding cups before we leave?] Eu asked. She was gripping Minato's wrist, preventing him from advancing further.

"Fine, but you have to buy them yourself. I can't risk being seen, so I'll just stay out of sight in the dark while I wait for you," Minato complied, wondering what was with Eu and pudding cups. She didn't mention them when they talked back in January. Were they her favorite snack or something?

_"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Death Arcana..."_

...Apparently so if _pudding_ was all it took for a rank up. Minato ran his hand through his hair as he sighed at the absurdity of it.

The ever-silent Eu nodded in eagerness as she and her blue-haired servant vacated the area.

* * *

**"This is the last call for Tokyo. Please board the train immediately. This is the last call for Tokyo. Please board the train immediately."** An automated voice echoed in the empty Iwatodai Station.

"This is it... Farewell, Iwatodai, everyone..." Minato sighed glumly. It was time to leave his hometown behind. Holding a bag filled with pudding cups, Minato walked alongside Eucliwood as the two boarded the train. When they got on, they saw that nobody else was on board. It was pretty late though. And today was a weekday too. Minato was glad with all of those aspects. Eu sat on the seat next to the door she and Minato entered and proceeded to eat one of her pudding cups with a plastic spoon. Her cheeks flushed a light pink color as she tasted her pudding. Minato stood by the entrance/exit as it closed in front of him. He could see his reflection within the window. However, there was something the blue-haired zombie did not expect to see in it.

"...Why do I have golden eyes?" Minato asked aloud, blinking and rubbing his eyes in disbelief. Instead of finding plain, grey eyes in his reflection, he found luminescent golden ones. What was this? His eyes were always grey! Today was just getting even weirder! Minato glanced at Eu for an answer. While she was eating her pudding, she shook her head. She didn't know either?

"...Maybe it's a side effect that comes when a Persona user becomes a zombie." Minato shrugged. It certainly wasn't going to be the same to not have his normal grey eyes, but he had to accept it. From here on out, he had a feeling that nothing will be the same anymore as he was now the servant of a necromancer.

As the train began to leave the station, he had the urge to play the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme in his mp3, but he thought of something better. He leaned against a pole as he placed his headphones on his ears and selected a song from his mp3 player, one that matched the mood of his departure. It would take awhile for him and Eu to reach Tokyo. It was a long day for him even though he was only back in his body for a couple of hours. He was tired. He closed his eyes and rested his mind as the music began to play.

_"Kimi wa ne tashika ni ano toki watashi no soba ni ita  
Itsudatte itsudatte itsudatte sugu yoko de waratteita nakushitemo  
Torimodosu kimi wo I will never leave you..."_

* * *

In Tokyo, a young man lied down on his bed, staring at the ceiling of his room. His house was empty. He had the whole house to himself. His parents went on too many damn trips without him, so he was alone most of the time.

He was very bored. Daily life as a high school student bored him. He was tired of his going-to-school-and-then-coming-home routine! He wanted something exciting to happen! Something to stir up his not-so-entertaining lifestyle!

Something to end his life of loneliness.

But, he couldn't predict the future. Fate was a fickle mistress in the end.

"I wonder if I'll ever meet another guy I can call a friend. Orito and I have been friends for forever, but Orito is... Orito. I just hope the guy won't be like him. Oh, and a cute girl would be nice too. I am a guy after all," Aikawa Ayumu said to himself before falling asleep.

* * *

**Next: Chapter 2: Are These Zombies?**

* * *

**A/N:** Welcome to the first Is This a Zombie?/Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? and Persona 3 crossover!

I know, I know. Three stories? Yes, I'm that ambitious. I'll be updating The Divine Spirit after this since some of you are so eager to see the next chapter._  
_

This idea actually originated from me seeing an image online one day. The image had both Minato and Eucliwood on it. Whoever made the image, they said they wanted to see the two in the same universe I think. When I saw the image, that's when I came up with this story! Whoever you are that made the image, I hope you see this someday.

Oh, and the birthday I gave Minato? That's not an official thing. From the information I had to go on, the Persona 3 protagonist was born in 1992, so I just made up a date of birth.

**EDIT**: It appears I will have to make this **very** clear to many of you. I am NOT going by the manga version of Minato. Whoever said I was? First off, the game came first, not the manga. Second, the Persona 3 protagonist, originally a video game character, is a heroic mime, meaning his personality can be determined as one sees fit. He can be as silent as his manga counterpart, an outgoing and generous person, or a dickish snob. A player ultimately determines the protagonist's personality. I am using some aspects of Minato's manga counterpart, like the name for instance; not all of it. So before any more of you say that Minato's personality or characterization is flawed, you are technically incorrect in a sense. Also, if you haven't noticed Minato's "sudden" personality shift and actions now that he's a zombie, especially including his golden eyes, you weren't really paying attention to what it could mean.

Sorry about that rant. I had to do it because of a ludicrous guest review I received.

Now that I got that out of the way, please enjoy the story and what I have to offer in the future.

What will happen as Minato and Eu stay in Tokyo?

Will Minato adapt as a zombie?

Will Ayumu get his wish?

Will any of Minato's friends discover that he's back?

What exactly happened to the Great Seal?

Is there any doubt that Minato's life will get more erratic?

All of these questions will be answered in due time.

Thanks for reading! Reviews are very much appreciated!

**Question of the chapter**: What would you guys like to see in the future for this story?


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